Current procedures for excising tissue involve invasive surgeries, e.g., cutting open a patient's chest to excise tissue in a lung. Other procedures involve the use of needles to remove portions of a tumor or diseased tissue. These procedures can cause complications and have their limitations. Because of the difficulties and risks associated with these current procedures, tumors are often left in place and monitored to determine whether or not they are cancerous. This exposes the patient to large amounts of radiation as well as the stress and worry of knowing a potentially lethal tumor or nodule remains in their body.
Therefore, there remains a need for more effective and efficient apparatus and methods for excising tissue in a minimally invasive fashion.